


Dollhouse

by Beneath_the_Trees



Category: Descendants (Disney Movies)
Genre: Anxiety, Anxiety Attacks, Child Abuse, Depression, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Get together fic, Getting Together, Illustrated, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, M/M, Mainly BoyxBoy, Panic Attacks, Past Abuse, Platonic Relationships, School Life, emotional support dog, romantic relationships
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-19
Updated: 2017-08-28
Packaged: 2018-12-17 11:26:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 9
Words: 21,448
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11850603
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Beneath_the_Trees/pseuds/Beneath_the_Trees
Summary: He was supposed to be a Prince. Instead, he was a pawn.Ace of Hearts didn't fit in on the Isle of the Lost. He was too kind, too quiet;not evil enough.His mother was ruthless as she trained, beat, threatened, and shaped him into an assassin. A pawn used to get her way and, eventually, get her off the island. The whole time, Ace could feel his heart dying. Slowly, surely, it was shriveling, fighting to push blood through his body and keep him going.Then one day, his friends were leaving the island; leaving him alone with his mother, with people who hated and feared him, who thought he was as insane as his mother. The next, he was being taken to Auradon Prep in the very same limo his friends had been in the day before.He had a chance to finally be free.(Little snippets into Ace of Hearts' life from the day his friends left for Auradon Prep, to his redemption of being a villain's son and his own chance to find love.)





	1. The Day His World Changed

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This story is on Wattpad under the same name!

" _ACE!!_ Get your grimy butt up here this instant!" A deep, shrill voice screamed from the lounge area in a ratty apartment.

Those who were outside took pity on the poor soul who had to deal with the murderous Queen's wrath, scurrying away from the house as if she would be coming outside to chop the heads off of each one of them. It was a normal occurrence; the Queen of Hearts' anger flaring with even the smallest thing. The giant of a woman was not known to be delicate to those who angered her, but without her castle and dungeon, her punishments were severely lessened, and four years after being moved to the Isle of the Lost, her anger focused solely on one person; Ace of Hearts, her son.

"Coming mother!" A boy with black and red hair yelled from outside the apartment building, a quick flash of fear in his red eyes that his four best friends caught with ease. The girl with short purple hair stepped forward, opening her mouth to say something when the boy turned and smiled weakly at them, scratching lightly at his cheek.

"Sorry, guys. I have to go. I'll catch up in a bit." He said softly, bowing his head a little before turning back to enter their home. The girl frowned, opening her mouth again as he began to walk away.

"Ace!" She called, prompting the boy to turn his head, black side of his bangs falling into his face. She looked conflicted for a moment, before a small smirk appeared and she crossed her arms over her chest, leaning back slightly as she shifted her weight. "We'll be down by the slums, so get over there fast, you got it?"

The boy nodded, turning his head and starting his walk back into the building. His long black and red coat fluttered behind him, and his footsteps were so silent that his friends could hardly believe he was walking. The boy with white and black spiked hair looked over to the girl who spoke. "Hey, Mal? You sure it's a good idea not to go with him?"

"Yeah Mal, his mom sounded really angry." The girl with blue hair said softly, lightly biting her lip as she looked up at their apartment. They could see flashes of red, black, and white on a big figure, and a small red flash darting around the big one. Ace's mom and dad.

"He'll just get mad at us if we follow him, and our parents won't be happy if we show we actually _care_ about him." Mal said, sighing as she turned to walk down to the slums and cause mischief with her friends.

"Yeah, but... Even they don't like how she treats them." The fourth friend, a boy with long, straight black hair and a maroon beanie on his head, said.

"Still. We are the children of some of the most powerful villains in the world! We can't afford to go soft- we have to protect Ace from the others. He's too kind to live here and survive, you know that."

All four of them sighed, looking back at the apartment one last time before heading off to the slums in defeat.

When Ace entered the lounge area, he caught his father in his arms as he was thrown from his mother's outrage. "Dad? Are you alright?" He asked worriedly, looking down at the tiny man he was cradling to his chest. The man adjusted his large crown and smiled up at his son.

"O-o-oh, yes! Yes, I'm alright! I was just trying to calm your mother a little. I'm afraid it didn't work." His father said as Ace placed him back on the floor. His mother growled as she turned, and both Ace and his father tensed. She almost had literal flames coming from her eyes, and her face was quickly turning darker shades of red.

Ace quickly knelt to one leg, placing his right hand over his heart and bowing his head. "What did you need me for, my Queen?" He asked emotionlessly, staying as still as possible even though he was scared beyond belief. A moment later he felt a painful stinging on his cheek, hard enough to bruise and cause tears to form in his eyes, but he still did not look up at his mother without her permission.

"How _dare_ you not make the cut!" She screeched, and he felt something sharp hit his shoulder. He swallowed thickly and ran his tongue across his chapped lips before daring to speak.

"The cut for what, my Queen?"

"To go to Auradon Prep!" She screeched, and another bruising hit was given to Ace. The Queen of Hearts was breathing heavily, almost snarling like a ferocious beast as she hit him again and again. "You were my one ticket out of this dump, and you don't even get _qualified_!! All your friends were chosen, but were you? NO! You are just a waste of space, you useless card!"

Ace flinched, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath to try and stop his tears from falling or his voice from shaking. "I apologize, my Queen. I will try to be better." He said, feeling like he was dying inside and cotton had been shoved into his mouth. His friends had been chosen to go across the barrier? They were going to leave him here, all alone?

"Dear, please! Ace did nothing wrong, after all. He didn't even know they were choosing villain kids!" His father said shakily, walking over to his wife's feet and starting his climb to her shoulders. "B-Besides, they said only the most evil villains' kids would be going! That means they think you are sweeter than them, isn't that lovely?" King of Hearts said softly, leaning towards his wife's ear so she could hear him.

"They do?" Queen of Hearts asked, shocked, as the red drained from her face.

The King of Hearts smiled, nodding quickly. "Yes, they do! They think you are a wonderful girl, and didn't want to part you from your son so soon!" He lied, but it seemed to work as Queen of Hearts blushed and looked bashful, giggling as she did.

"Oh, that's so sweet of them!" She said bashfully, before her eyes fell on Ace and she frowned for a moment. "Ace!"

The boy's flinch was miniscule, but there. "Yes, my Queen?"

"Get out of my sight! I don't want to see you again until Maleficent returns with the others!"

"Yes, my queen." Ace said, quickly standing and walking as calmly as he could up the stairs and to the room he shared with Jay and Carlos. He went over to his bed and pulled out a first aid kit from underneath it, opening the box and pulling out anything he might need. He took off his jacket and his shirt, going over to the girls' room next door so he could borrow their mirror.

When he looked into the mirror he saw his eyes pink and slightly puffy from holding back tears, and his left cheek was bright red and swelling a little. His right shoulder was bright red as well, a small thin line of darker red cutting across it. His body was covered in faded scars and fresh cuts; fading bruises that left his body aching. Turning around, he bit his lip when he saw all the new bright red splotches covering his pale skin, surrounded by more scars and bruises. He sighed and began to care for his body, taking a small amount of pain killer to dull the ache that would be appearing at some point.

By the time he was done mending the forming bruises on his body and covering the cut with a bandage, he could hear Maleficent coming in with the others close behind. He went back downstairs to the lounge, sitting down on one end of the couch. He felt someone tapping his leg and looked down to see his father holding up a small bag of ice. "Here, Ace. For your cheek." He said softly, and Ace smiled slightly.

"Thanks, Papa." He said softly, lifting his dad up and setting him next to him before taking the bag of ice offered and pressing it to his cheek.

"I'm sorry about your mother's temper. Are you alright?"  King of Hearts asked, eyeing Queen of Hearts wearily. Maleficent came up the steps in a flourish before Mal and the others followed. They went over to Ace and Carlos frowned.

"Ace, are you okay? What happened?" He asked, sitting next to Ace after his dad had moved. "Your cheek is really red, man."

"It's nothing, guys. Congratulations, though." Ace said softly, not able to meet any of their eyes.

Jay frowned in confusion, looking at the others for a moment, "Wait, what do you mean congratulations?"

"I'll take care of that!" Maleficent said loudly, and she began to explain about her plan to get Fairy Godmother's wand, ignoring the other's complaints.

None of the kids were excited to be going, mad and upset at their parents. Ace curled up on the couch, watching and listening quietly.

"Wait, why isn't Ace coming with us?" Evie said, pointing to the boy still sitting silently on the couch. At the sound of his name, Ace rubbed at his arm and sighed heavily.

"I'm... Not going. The people over there didn't think it was necessary for me to be a part of their trial run." Ace said softly, pulling his knees up to his chest. Mal gaped at the boy, frowning slightly. "Wait, you _knew_?!" She snapped, glaring slightly. "You knew what was going on and you didn't tell us or try to stop them from making us go?!"

"I didn't find out until earlier, alright?!" Ace snapped, standing up and taking the ice off his cheek without thinking.  His cheek was turning purple and blue already, marring his unscarred face. He looked close to tears. "I didn't know until you guys were gone and then I couldn't leave, okay? So have fun in Auradon while you're there and just enjoy being off this terrible island while I'm stuck here!" He snapped, running out the door and heading outside. He slid down the side of the wall and wrapped his arms around his legs. He watched as a limousine pulled up and a man dressed in black came out, and a few moments later his friends and their parents came down.

"Have fun, guys."  Ace said softly, waving as they got into the car. As Evie was about to get in she stopped and rushed over to Ace, hugging him tightly.

"Just wait, Ace. We'll convince them to bring you over. You won't be here alone, I promise." She said softly, hugging him for a moment longer before going to the car. She got in and sighed as they drove off, looking to the others as she loosely twirled a piece of her dark blue hair around her finger. "We need to get him off this island, guys." She said softly, pointing to her cheek a moment later. "Did you see that bruise forming? He can _not_ stay with his mom any longer!"

"I don't know, Evie... She might go after his dad or someone else afterwards." Jay said as he took some of the candy and shoved it into his mouth.

"Everyone else can handle themselves. I mean, his dad survived when they were in Wonderland, right? Can't be that hard." Carlos said with a shrug as he messed with other things in the limo.

Mal frowned slightly in thought, lightly tapping her mother's spell book in her bag. A moment later she grinned, clapping her hands together lightly as she leaned forward. "I have an idea! We'll convince whoever picked us to bring Ace there, too!" She leaned close and dropped her voice to a whisper, "We can use a spell!"

Evie frowned and shook her head. "Wait, why don't we try asking, first? I don't think Ace will appreciate it if we use a spell..."

Mal huffed and leaned back, crossing her arms over her chest. "Yeah, that's true."

\--------

When they arrived at Auradon prep, the four of them clamored out of the limo, Jay and Carlos wrestling on the ground and arguing about who gets the electronic in their hands. Carlos had chocolate smeared all over his face, and it was amazing none of it had gotten on his clothes. Mal lightly kicked the boys when she saw a short lady and a boy dressed in a blue suit come over, and gave a slightly forced smile as introductions were made.

Everything went about as normal as it could while Prince Ben and his annoying girlfriend Audrey showed them around, but none of them had been expecting to have to be split from the guy who brought them here so soon. So, before Ben and Audrey could leave them alone with Doug, Mal grabbed his arm and pulled him back towards them as all four of them scrambled to surround him.

"Wait! We need your help with something!" Mal said quickly, concern and desperation dripping through her words.

"What could villains like you possibly need help with?" Audrey asked snidely, making Mal glare. Carlos took over talking to Ben,

"You said that you wanted to bring the children who needed help the most here, right?"

"Yes, I did say that..." Ben said hesitantly, a nervous smile on his face. "Why do you ask?"

"We need you to help our friend get off the island!" Evie said quickly, worry in her eyes, "He doesn't belong there, he's more good than bad! He'll get killed without us there!"

Ben's eyes widened, first in shock then in confusion. "What? Who's kid is he?"

"The Queen of Hearts. You know, big giant of a lady, always screaming _'OFF WITH THEIR HEAD'?_ Come on, man, you have to do this for us. He'll be dead before the week is over." Jay added, trying to be nonchalant about the ordeal.

Mal sighed and looked at Ben again, her grip loosening on his arm. "Please, Ben. Ace isn't like us. _He's_ the one who deserves to be here more than the four of us combined."

Ben looked at Maleficent's daughter in shock, before clearing his throat and straightening his clothes as he stepped out of the small circle they had made around him. "Alright, I'll see what I can do."

\----------

The next day, Ace was hiding away in his room, nursing another bruise on his arm and trying not to cry at the oppressive silence the once lively room carried.

'Don't cry,' He thought, taking a deep breath as he curled up into a ball. 'Princes, much less villains, don't cry. Suck it up, Ace.' He told himself, shivering as he heard his mother's booming voice downstairs. He yelped as his door was slammed open, startled enough to press his back against the wall and staring like a deer caught in headlights at his father, who was darting around and beginning to pack all his stuff.

"D-Dad...? What are you doing?" He wiped at his eyes quickly, hoping that would get rid of the evidence that he was about to cry.

His dad smiled up at him and packed a few of Ace's shirts into a suit case. "The Prince sent a message! He said that you can go to Auradon Prep with the others!"

"What?!" Ace asked, shocked. His dad's grin grew even wider and he nodded, crown slipping from his head.

"Yep yep! Now, come along, help me pack your things! We don't have much time before your ride gets here!" The King of Hearts hopped up onto Ace's bed, gently pushing his son off it and onto his feet before beginning to dart around his portion of the room again.

Ace was still in shock as he helped his dad fill his two bags worth of personal things and school supplies, and as he bowed to his mother and was treated kindly by her for being able to go to the school, if only because she would have a ticket of the island. He stayed in shock until he felt tiny arms wrap about his neck as he stared at the sleek, black limo that had carried his friends off the day before, and heard his dad whisper,

"Merry Unbirthday, Ace! Do you like your present?" He whispered into his ear, and Ace felt tears beginning to form again. He nodded, hugging his dad tightly.

"I love it, Dad."

"Good! Then thank Mal and the others when you get there. I'm positive this was their work."

Ace nodded and hugged his dad one final time before setting him down, giving the other adults a nod before bowing one last time to his mother.

He took a deep breath and got into the back of the limo, waiting until they were past the magic barrier to let his tears fall, and even then, he cried in silence.


	2. The Prince's Arrival

Mal and the others were waiting nervously in front of the school, trying not to let their nerves show. There wasn't a band this time, thankfully, but Prince Ben and Headmistress Fairy Godmother were waiting quietly off to the side along with the boy who would be Ace's roommate; Haydn Rolfe*, Thomas Rolfe's younger brother and son of Pocahontas and John Rolfe. People who passed looked confused, but went on their way after a quick word from Fairy Godmother or Ben.

When the limousine turned around a corner and appeared down the street, Carlos jumped up from his place on the ground and pointed. "Look! Ace is almost here!" He said eagerly, bouncing in the balls of his feet and holding onto Jay's shoulder.

Evie squealed and jumped, clapping and smiling brightly. "Oh, great! Mal, aren't you excited?"

"Of course," Mal said with a small smile, arms crossed over her chest again. "I'm just trying to maintain the "villain" look." She said with a roll of her eyes towards the other three waiting.

The limo stopped and the man who was driving got out, going around to the back and opening the door for the school's newest addition. Haydn watched as the boy got out of the car hesitantly, looking around as if trying to make sure this wasn't really a dream. He frowned when he saw the glaringly obvious bruise on the boy's face, and one glance at the other teens showed they saw it, too.

The boy's crimson-colored eyes trailed over the sight before him slowly, and Haydn couldn't help but notice how his eyes seemed red and puffy, even from this far away. He was crying?

"Ace! Merry Unbirthday!" Evie cheered as she ran up and hugged her friend. The other three followed, Jay clapping him on the back as Carlos gave him a side hug and Mal smiled. Haydn couldn't help but notice the small wince that caused Jay to quickly remove his hand and give the boy- Ace, he noted, an apologetic smile that disappeared almost as fast as it arrived. "Merry Unbirthday, Ace. Like your present?" Maleficent's daughter asked with a smile.

Ace smiled and nodded, rubbing at his eyes after returning the hugs he was given. "Yeah. Thank you so much. How did you guys pull it off?" He asked, and Jay pointed over to the three other people waiting to be introduced.

"Just did a little finessing to the boy in blue over there." He said with a smirk. Ace's eyes widened as he looked over to where he pointed.

"Wait, _that's_ Prince Ben?" He asked, and the three others stepped forward to introduce themselves.

The boy with blonde hair and dressed in the blue blazer nodded, holding out his hand with a smile. "Yes, I'm Prince Ben. Welcome to Auradon Prep, Ace."

Ace looked at his hand for a moment before bowing, shaking his hand when he stood back up straight. "Thank you for allowing me to come here, Prince Ben."

"You are very lucky to have friends such as yours. They practically begged me to let you come to this school."

Ace smiled kindly, nodding slightly. "Yeah, I am lucky." He said softly, looking over to Fairy Godmother when she introduced herself. Once again he bowed, making the woman giggle.

"Aw, you are such a gentleman! I had no idea that people like you came from the Isle of the Lost!"

"My mother trained me extensively on how a prince should greet and behave in front of anyone of higher standing than me." Ace said monotonously, a stark difference to the emotions that had been in his voice only moments before. Haydn frowned faintly at the change, wondering if that was something he was told to do or if it was something about what Headmistress Fairy Godmother had said.

"Okay, uh, anyway, there is someone I would like you to meet, Ace." Ben said, motioning to the final newcomer. The boy he motioned to had lightly tanned skin and short, choppily cut chocolate brown hair that fell into his eyes, a few feathers tied into his hair. He bowed in greeting as Ace did while Ben spoke, "This is your roommate, Haydn Rolfe. Son of Rebecca and John Rolfe."

"You may know my mother better as Pocahontas." Haydn said softly, shaking Ace's hand after he bowed. Ace nodded, and as he met Haydn's eyes, he found that they were hazel.

"It's nice to meet you. I'm Ace. Ace of Hearts." Ace said quietly, a nervous smile gracing his lips. He felt unsure about introducing himself. So many people hated his mother, he felt it would be only natural they hated him, too. He almost felt like it would be the island all over again- only without his mother constantly watching his every move.

Hayden's eyes widened slightly at the sound of his name, humming faintly in thought as he repeated Ace's last name. "Of Hearts?" He asked, curious to know just why that was his last name. Truthfully, he had no idea who his new roommate's parents were, having been asked by Ben if he would be his roommate only last night. He had said that Haydn was the only person without a roommate, and that he was the only one he trusted to give Ace a safe place in the dorms and to be a friend to. At this point, all Haydn knew about his roommate was that his name was Ace, he didn't belong in the Isle of the Lost, someone had hurt him, and that he was _extremely_ attractive.

Ace blushed, looking down and nodding. He looked like he was about to scratch at his cheek but stopped when he seemed to remember there was a bruise there. "Yeah. My mom's the Queen of Hearts. I'm just thankful they named me Ace instead of Prince." He fell silent for a while, as if waiting for a remark, and looked up hesitantly when he wasn't given one. "Are... Are you okay with that...?"

"With what? That your mom is the Queen of Hearts?" Haydn asked, blinking as if it never occurred to him that that was a problem. Of course he knew she was a crazy villain of a Queen, but that didn't mean Ace was that way. He was innocent of her crimes. "I don't care that she is. Just because she is evil, doesn't make you that way. I trust the person rather than the name."

Ace's eyes widened slightly and he smiled again for a moment, a wince breaking it off as he cradled his bruised cheek. A small smile still rested on his face, though, and the beauty of it made Haydn smile.

"Alright, now that that's over, Ace, come with us. We'll show you around a bit." Mal said, carefully placing her hand on his arm and starting to pull him away along with the others. Ben and Haydn quickly followed, and Ben began the same speech as yesterday. Haydn was surprised the others allowed it.

Of course, as they walked through the halls there were people who glared or shied away and Haydn mentally rolled his eyes. People could be so childish. He stood a little behind Ace, since his friends had flocked all other sides of him. When they reached the dorms, though, Evie had them all stop.

"Wait! Ace, come with me. I want to fix up your cheek a little if that's alright with you." She said softly, so only their little group could hear. Ace's cheeks flushed with color again and he shrugged. "Sure, I guess."

Evie smiled and took Ace's hand, pulling him up the stairs and towards the girl's dormitory. They came back down a few minutes later, Ace's eyes looking less puffy and red, and his cheek was no longer noticeably blue and purple. "Alright, Haydn, you can take him now. I'm sure he'd love to put his bags down in his room and rest for a bit. Right guys?" Evie smiled, and the others nodded.

"Yeah, that's fine." Mal waved them off, Jay and Carlos giving other confirmations. Haydn smiled at them and went over to Ace.

"Our room is this way." He said, very faintly placing his hand on Ace's arm as he started to lead him to their room before dropping it back to his side. Ace nodded and followed quietly, rubbing his arm nervously. Haydn bit his lip as he tried to think of something to say. "So... Tell me about yourself?"

"There's... Not much to say, really." Ace started, lightly kicking at the ground. "My mom and dad were the rulers of Wonderland, my mom is some sort of giant, and my dad is tiny. I'm around 5'2, I think. The red chunk of my hair is natural, surprisingly. I think it came from my dad or something. Mal, Evie, Carlos and Jay are my only friends.... Um... Yeah." He shrugged slightly, and Haydn frowned slightly.

"I'm sure there's more. What are your hobbies? What do you like to do?"

"Well.... I cook, if that's anything... And I sing and dance, sometimes..." Ace mumbled nervously, looking down.

"Cool! I can play guitar a little, and sing. Can't dance to save my life, though." Haydn smiled and stopped Ace from going any further, motioning to the door they were in front of. "Okay, here we are! Welcome to your new home, Ace." He said softly, opening the door and motioning for Ace to walk inside.

Ace walked in slowly, and looked around the large room in awe. "W-Wow. It's so big!" His eyes widened when he saw the small flat screen TV on one of the walls. "Is that a TV?"

"Yeah. Did you not have one on the island?" Haydn asked, stepping into the room and closing the door. He enjoyed watching Ace look around, seeing how happy he was.

"Not a flat screen! We didn't have phones, that much I can tell you right now. No wifi." Ace went over to the bed that had nothing on it, setting his bags down. Haydn followed him over, chuckling softly.

"Wow, that must have been terrible. Would you like help putting your things away?" He asked, leaning over Ace's shoulder slightly. He was a few inches taller than Ace, the young Prince of Hearts only going to his shoulder. Ace jumped and turned to look up at the male, an unreadable expression in his eyes for a moment before he smiled and nodded.

"That would be great, thank you...."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Here is the second OC! Haydn Rolfe is a completely made up character I made for this story. In reality, Thomas Rolfe is the only child of Rebecca Rolfe (Pocahontas) and John Rolfe, and he went on to have a wife and kids so... It just didn't feel right changing stuff for a real live person.


	3. Haydn Remembers: Part One

Haydn remembers the first night the nightmares had happened, he had woken up only slightly from sleep at around two in the morning and thought he had been hearing things when he heard sniffles and muffled sobs coming from Ace's side of the room, and had fallen back to sleep a few moments later.

The second time, Haydn had woken to a sharp yelp and Ace falling out of his bed. They spent ten minutes nursing any bruises Ace might have had and checked his eyes for a sign of a concussion- despite what they seem, the beds are rather high up- before going back to sleep. Haydn could remember clearly how Ace had tried to laugh it off, said that he had rolled too far in his bed and hadn't realized just how close to the edge it was until it was too late. Haydn thought the scared look in his eyes and the red puffiness surrounding them said otherwise.

The fourth night, Haydn had woken up to the actual screaming. It had taken him exactly 14 minutes and 15 seconds to wake Ace up, and he spent an hour cradling an unresponsive, violently shaking boy in his arms, trying to get him back to the world, to show him he was safe, before Ace had gone lax in his arms out of pure exhaustion. He could still feel the warmth where the tears had fallen onto his arm.

He remembers, it had been the fifteenth day when he was given an inkling as to what the nightmares might be about.

He and Ace had been wandering about campus, looking for a quiet place for them to study and for Haydn to tutor Ace in some of his worse classes, when Chad and his goons had passed by. Haydn had never liked them. They used people and were spoiled brats with more villain in them than the villain kids. He had lightly touched Ace's arm as a signal to ignore them and follow him, but as they passed by one of the goons had yelled, "OFF WITH HIS HEAD!"

Haydn still remembers how Ace had frozen, eyes growing wide and fear clearly leaking into his posture. His grip had tightened on his books until his knuckles had turned white. He looked sick, all color having drained from his face. It was the first time anyone had gotten more of a reaction than a duck of the head and proceeding to be ignored as Ace continued to do what he needed to do. This had clearly startled the boy, and it worried Haydn. He had stepped forward and placed a hand on his shoulder, and Ace jumped, yelping and dropping his things and seeming to instinctively jerk like he wanted to move away, but he kept his feet glue to the ground.

"Ace?" Haydn felt how he tensed even further and watched as Ace slowly turned to face him, his eyes definitely filled with fear now and Chad and his friends were laughing just behind them.

Ace's cheeks had quickly flushed with shame as he ducked his head and shrugged off Haydn's hand, kneeling down to quickly grab his fallen things. Haydn had bent down to help, but another flinch from Ace made him pause and straighten. Ace ran off the moment he had collected everything, and Haydn had turned to the boys still laughing and teasing, making obscene remarks their parents would hopefully be ashamed to hear them say, He had unleashed his own fury on them, shouting and yelling until Ben had come and pulled him away from them.

When Haydn saw Ace again, it was that evening in their room. Ace's eyes were red and puffy as he had walked in with a mumbled but heartfelt apology on his lips, and then he had just collapsed onto his bed; back to his roommate and clearly too exhausted to say anything more.

That night was when Haydn's inkling had been confirmed as the cause of the nightmares. Ace had been screaming again; kicking away his sheets and breaking into a cold sweat when Haydn had been woken up. He fumbled for the night but his sleep-blurred eyes had been unable to find it, so he just scrambled out of bed and over to Ace's, as usual, when a strangled sound had left Ace and panicked words had left him.

"I'm sorry, I'll-.... Please, stop...! N-no, please, I'll do better!" Haydn knew he should wake the boy up before anything else had been said, but a stray elbow had made contact with his stomach and caused him to crumble in on himself, holding the spot. It was too early in the morning to be unaffected by the sudden action, and it had sadly meant that Ace's nightmare would continue. "Please, no..! Stop, it hurts... It hurts, it hurts, please, stop! Mother!" At the last cry Ace had jerked awake, and Haydn quickly scrambled to look like Ace had not in fact elbowed him in the gut as his words registered in his brain.

He froze, looking at the Prince who gasped and shook in the moonlight filtering in from their windows with mostly drawn curtains. Who's Crimson eyes shined with tears and hands grasped for the familiarity that Haydn's had started to give him on nights like these, and suddenly he felt immense sadness for the boy as he reached out and took Ace's hand in his own, pulling the boy up and onto his lap. He rested Ace's head on his shoulder and felt his quickened breaths against the crook of his neck, felt the warm tears creating a wet spot on his nightshirt.

Haydn remembers how Ace clung to him like a lifeline, eyes nearly unseeing as he rode through flashes of nightmare mixed with memory while being murmured to that he was safe now, reminded of stories that he and his friends had done so far throughout the school year. He remember how Ace had begged, over and over in a pitifully small voice, not to have his head cut off; that he'll be a good boy, he'll do better, so please, please don't cut his head off.

Haydn remembers murmuring back, "Yes, you're a good boy, you're doing amazing, so don't worry, no one is cutting your head off, you're safe here, I promise."

Haydn remembers how the next day, Ace couldn't meet his eyes but smiled a shy, thankful smile while blushing that morning in the dining hall, and he remembers how his heart had suddenly began to pound in his chest as heat creeped up his neck. How Evie had given a little gasp and a giggle, Mal had given a knowing smirk, and Ben had smiled, patted his shoulder, and continued his conversation with the girls.

He remembers how that was the day he had fallen in love.


	4. Tainted Innocence

Mal, Carlos, Evie, and Jay tried hard to keep Ace out of their plans for capturing the wand. They tried to act casual around Ace and never brought it up around him, even though he too was given this assignment in a more personal way and with much more dire consequences. They wanted to give him a life he deserved, wanted to keep him from worrying about keeping secrets from Haydn and Ben. They knew he was too kind for this type of job. They knew it was eating him from the inside out to plot against the one place they knew he felt safe and ultimately cared for, even if he was surrounded by people who triggered his pain and called him names. They knew it hurt him to see them plotting it, as well.

Contrary to popular belief, Ace was actually good at reading people. Years of carefully determining the moods of his mother had made him minutely aware of what people felt. He knew that his friends from the Isle of the Lost liked it here in Auradon. He knew that they were warming up to the place and Ben.

He knew that they were good kids who just wanted to get out from the oppressive shadows of their parents. Knew that Evie was smarter than people gave her credit for, that Carlos wasn't as scared of everything as he seemed and that he has feelings for someone among their small group of six-sometimes seven, that Jay didn't like stealing as much as he used to, and that Mal was much kinder than anyone knew.

He knew that Auradon- Ben especially, was changing them.

That was why he would help. He would help because he was given this task as well, yes, but he helped because he wanted to ease their burden. Wanted them to enjoy being here just as much as he did, if not more. So, he helped.

Even though the Lost kids tried to keep Ace out of their plans, he still helped them where it was needed. He helped them plan, helped them calm down enough to think rationally, helped them gain information. He informed them about details of the coronation after asking Haydn about it. He helped them come up with a plan about finally getting the wand, and even though they tried so hard, the Lost kids were unable to keep the fact they were planning to use a love spell on Ben a secret from Ace.

Ace knew what his friends were planning. He knew that they felt it was the only option left, and they were keeping him out of the planning from this point on because they didn't want him to get hurt or be hurt.

He knew that someone was going to get hurt in this ordeal, but who that was, he didn't know. He knew their plan, though, and that was why he walked himself into Mal and Evie's room when they were planning the love spell, plopped himself onto the floor, and silently demanded he join with just his presence in the room alone.

His friends were wary. Of course they would be. Ace didn't move until they finally relented and let him join, but they adamantly demanded he not do anything more than just help like he had been.

Now, they were in the kitchen after hours, hoping no one would end up finding them down here at this semi-late hour. Ace thought it was kind of funny how the love spell was basically cookies as he helped gather and measure the normal ingredients. After doing all that he was allowed to by the others, he propped himself against the table next to Carlos, watching as Mal mixed the batter together until they ran into their final problem.

A tear of human sadness.

They all looked at each other, and soon their gazes landed on Ace. He fidgeted, slightly uncomfortable. He knew this was bound to happen the moment Mal said what the last ingredient was.

"Ace, you can cry, right? Cry into the bowl." Jay said, meaning well even though his words were harsh.

"I can't." Ace said softly, shaking his head a little as he rubbed his arm.

"Why not? Just think of sad things!" Evie said encouragingly, and Ace laughed a little bitterly.

"That's not how it works, Evie. I'm not sad right now, and I really don't want to be. I've kind of had enough of that to last me a lifetime." The bitterness in Ace's voice shocked the other four into silence, never having heard such a dry tone leave their kind friend before. He looked away from them, kicking at the ground. He was guarded, they noticed; his shoulders bunched close to his ears and he seemed to try and curl into himself.

It was in this silence that Lonnie appeared, dressed in light pink silk pajamas and as happy as ever. Mal covered the spell book before it could be seen, and before any of them could stop her, Lonnie ate some of the cookie dough.

"D-Do you feel anything?" Mal asked nervously, and Lonnie only gave her a confused look. "Like it might be... Missing something?"

Jay ran a hand through his hair as he stepped closer to the princess, his smile flirtatious as he said, "Hey there..."

Lonnie only stared, smacking her lips delicately, before going, "Could use some chips."

She walked towards the pantry, reaching in to grab something, while the Lost kids just stared at her in confusion.

"Chips?"

"And those are...?"

"Chocolate chips." Lonnie explained, walking back over to the group with a small glass dish filled with small brown teardrop-shaped sweets. She looked up as she continued to speak, "just the most important food group." At everyone's blank looks, she began to get a little confused as well. "Wait, didn't your moms ever make you guys, like, chocolate chip cookies? Like, when your feeling sad, and their fresh from the oven, with a big ol' glass of milk, and she just makes you laugh and puts everything into perspective and...."

As she was speaking, the Lost kids all progressively became sad and had a little bit of a hard to place look on their face. Ace had curled in on himself and was pointedly not looking at Lonnie.

"Why are you all looking at me like that?"

"It's just... Different, where we're from." Mal explained, looking down for a moment.

"Yeah, I know, I just, you know, I thought.... Even villains love their kids." She said, still trying to act cheerful even though the mood had turned rather somber. Ace flinched, curling up even further as the rest of the kids looked at Lonnie sadly. She quickly realized what that meant and her smile disappeared.

"Oh... How awful..." She said softly, a tear slipping down her cheek. Mal quickly spotted this and swiped it, flicking it into the bowl and having the others lead Lonnie out so fast she probably had no idea what was happening.

Mal had Carlos and Jay get cookie sheets while Evie got the oven ready before going over to Ace, who had yet to move from his spot. "Ace? You doing okay?" She asked softly, hesitating to touch him since she knew it could cause him to panic. He flinched anyway, slowly lifting his head up to look at her. He looked distraught, looking at Mal with confused and almost heartbroken eyes.

"I... I don't...."

Mal sighed softly, and gave him a soft smile. "Why don't you go back to your room? You've helped us enough tonight, and I think seeing Haydn will do you some good. Carlos!"

"Yeah?" Carlos walked back over, wondering what Mal needed now.

"Can you take Ace back to his dorm?"

"Yeah, of course." Carlos smiled and held out a hand, which Ace gladly took after a moment. They walked out of the kitchen and back towards the dorm room, Carlos talking about random things to keep Ace's mind occupied.

"So, how's like with a noble?" Carlos asked.

"It's... It's okay. Haydn is really nice. You know how I would sometimes get nightmares and you and Jay would help me?" Carlos nodded, so Ace continued. "Well, he helps with them and doesn't get mad at me for anything.... He even tutors me in subjects I'm not very good in."

"That's great, Ace! I'm glad your making friends other than us!"

Ace nodded, and sighed softly when they reached his dorm room. "Hey, Carlos?"

"Yeah?"

"It's... It's really not so bad here... You guys should stay here with me. Ben and Doug are nice, and Haydn is, too. So are Lonnie and Jane. We aren't alone here. They like us for who we are, even if Jane is a little scared still....." He looked into Carlos' eyes, smiling nervously. "Can you just think about it?"

Carlos bit his lip, looking away after a moment and shuffling his weight. "Yeah, we'll think about it, Ace." He said honestly, unable to lie to the boy.

Ace smiled that weak, but gentle smile that just made your heart feel lighter because you did something good in the world, and Carlos smiled back. He watched Ace go inside, and he soon went on his way back to the kitchen, thinking about what Ace had said.

\------

While Carlos was the youngest, everyone sort of treated Ace like the baby of the group simply because he wasn't like them.

He was kind, he was innocent, he was everything his mother was not and he needed to have people he could trust in his life. He needed people who would love and care for him where no one else would. Needed to be protected because he was already damaged in ways that the others weren't, and the ways that they were, were much harsher for Ace than the others. His mother really was rotten, and everyone on the isle had known that.

To the Lost kids, Ace was the innocence of the isle all bundled into a broken and bloodied boy from a country where everything was nonsense. Nothing was what it was, and everything was what it wasn't. But Ace knew what was and wasn't, and he wasn't as bonkers as his mother, or the hatter, or the hare, or the cat, or the mouse, or the rabbit who led Alice down the rabbit hole. He was a special person in a sea of mad and angry and bitter and crazy. He was a prince among thieves, and liars, and beggars, but a useless card to his mother. He was the quiet calm in an eye of a storm.

To the Lost kids, he was a caged beast stolen and torn from the light.

So, they had brought him to Auradon where he could heal and flourish. They protected him from bullies along with Ben and Haydn. They worked to get the wand without including Ace as much as possible because they didn't want him to continue being tainted.

And for being in school for about two months, they had been doing well. They had healed him up rather nicely. No new marks and less nightmares than at the island. Ace was laughing more and flinching less, but of course nothing could last forever.

Chad's goon had yelled "Off with his head!" when Ace and Haydn had been looking for a spot to study, and the Lost kids found out just how badly he was damaged when Haydn told them what had happened.

Then, along came the week of Ben's Coronation.


	5. The Card With A Human Heart

The week of Ben's coronation was probably one of the worst weeks of Ace's life. Family Day, especially.

It was Family Day when Ace had a panic attack in front of the entire student body and parents at Auradon Prep. It was Family Day, when it all became too much for him to handle, and Haydn and the others had to begin to pick up the pieces and put them back together so that Ace could heal.

If asked, Ace's closest friends would have to guess it started to reach its peak a few days before Family Day. Ace and the other Villain kids had been given the wonderful "gift" of a video chat with their parents, and needless to say, it did not go well.

Carlos argued with his mother about Dude, and everything went downhill from there. Jay's father began arguing with Cruella, and Ace, who had been hiding behind the others in fear of being called out or spotted, was spoken to by his mother.

Ace had flinched, not going unnoticed by Fairy Godmother or Evie, and squeezed his way to the front. He bowed low to his mother, gaze glued to the floor as he straightened. Everything was silent as he collected himself. He swallowed quietly and his voice shook ever so slightly as he spoke.

"Yes, my Queen?" He asked softly, in that emotionless voice he used when meeting Fairy Godmother, and the Queen of Hearts started to speak to him in a cold voice.

"Have you made _any_ progress in what I asked you?" She said in a calm, low voice that dripped with malice. Ace visibly tensed, but did not speak. The other Lost kids could see how he had suddenly panicked and locked up, because they knew he had not made any progress.

"You _do_ know what will happen if you fail, yes?"

The room's occupants watched as the hand not seen by the Queen of Hearts shook violently, even as Ace clenched it into a fist in an attempt to stop it. "Yes, my Queen." He said, words shaky and sharp and filled with terror that the Queen must have heard because she gave him a sickeningly sweet smile and spoke in an equally disgustingly sweet tone, saying, "Good, my little card."

Jay quickly turned off the computer when she looked like she had more to say, looking at Ace as Evie hesitantly reached out to touch Ace's shoulder. Immediately, Ace flinched and jerked away like he wanted to run but his feet stayed where they were. "Ace...?" She asked softly.

His head snapped up, eyes wide and shining with tears.

"Ace-"

"I'm sorry." He blurted, already starting to back away. He took a deep breath as he backed up, eyes darted from one kid to the next. He nearly stumbled into Fairy Godmother and he jumped away like she had electrocuted him. "I-I'm sorry. I-" He stumbled into a desk, cheeks flushing with embarrassment but eyes still wide with panic. "I need to go...!" He croaked, before turning and running out of the room as fast as he could.

Fairy Godmother looked at the kids sadly and apologized for how everything has turned out. The kids brushed off her apology and left, going off to find Ace before finalizing their plan to get the wand.

Ace ran as far and fast as he could, dodging many people and stumbling into a few more. He apologized each time, but never slowed. He had to get away from everyone, and everything.

He heard someone call his name, but even as his chest heaved for air and his legs screamed for relief, he ran past the tourney field and into the forest. He ran until his legs could no longer hold him and he collapsed to the ground as he tried to stop shaking and crying. He gripped handfuls of dirt, wood chips, and leaves, gasping for air as tears steadily fell down the bridge of his nose and dripped to the ground.

"She'll kill me...." He whimpered, his shaking only getting worse. "She'll kill me..." He kept repeating it like a mantra, his thoughts stuck on that fact as he sunk lower and lower to the ground as he curled in on himself. Tears still streamed down his face, and his hands had gone from gripping dirt to pulling at his hair as he tried to breathe right.

"....Ace?"

Ace screamed, startled, and flipped around to face the speaker so fast he thought he might get whiplash.

Haydn stood there, panting and his expression slowly becoming more and more worried as he took in Ace's appearance.

"Ace, what happened?"

Ace backed up, startled and afraid to talk about it. He just stared up at Haydn looking scared and sad.

Haydn bit his lip, sitting down across from Ace. "Okay, well.... Just know I'll be here if you want to talk." He said softly, picking up a few blades of grass to play with.

It became silent, aside from the distant calls of birds and other animals. Haydn played with the grass he picked up, twisting them around each other and grabbing a few more pieces as he began to make a braid. Ace wasn't sure what to do, still shaking and crying a lot more quietly than before.

Eventually, Ace crawled over to Haydn, resting his head in his lap and wrapping his arms around Haydn's waist. "Please don't hate me...." He whimpered, even as Haydn began to ran his hand through Ace's hair.

"I could never hate you, Ace. What's eating you, bud?"

Ace was quiet again, before he buried his face in Haydn's stomach. "M-Mom.... S-She wants to l-leave the island a-and t-thin-nks I can g-get her out..... I-If I-I don't s-she'll.... She'll...." He trailed off, body shaking even more and tears starting to fall once again.

Haydn got the idea even without Ace finishing his sentence, hooking his arms under Ace's and pulling him up to hug him gently. "Hey, hey.... It's going to be okay. She can't touch you here, I promise..."

"I don't want to help her. I-I like it here...." He said softly, sniffling and gripping the back of Haydn's shirt.

"Then don't help her... You're protected here, Ace. We'll keep you safe from her."

"B-But...." Ace trailed off, glancing up at Haydn with watery, red eyes. He soon glanced back down and shook his head. "Never mind... Hey, Haydn?"

"Yeah?" Haydn's voice became softer, his hand ceasing its action but not leaving its place in Ace's hair.

"Can we go back to our room? I don't feel very good anymore." He murmured, and Haydn smiled sympathetically.

"Of course. Here, let's get you up." Haydn started to stand, bringing Ace up with him. Together, they snuck around the halls until they were back at the dorm, and Haydn helped Ace get comfortable in bed, brushing hair from his forehead as Ace fell asleep from exhaustion.

\------

When Ace broke down, it was Family Day.

At first, everything was going smoothly. Haydn introduced Ace to his parents and his brother, and Ace left a good impression on them. Pocahontas thought he was sweet, even if he was shy, and treated him kindly even though he was Queen of Hearts' son.

When Haydn's dad had been a little snappy about it, she had snapped right back, "You married me, someone your people considered savages. You leave the boy be, John."

Ace had stared, pale cheeks flushed from embarrassment. Clearly, he wasn't used to adults defending him. Pocahontas had given him an elegant smiled and hesitated before giving him a pat on the shoulder, as if knowing he wasn't used to a kind touch.

Ace's friends had come over to him when Ben invited them to play croquet, politely asking if they wanted to come over as well. Most of Haydn's family declined, but Pocahontas came over to watch along with Ace and get to know him better.

"A boy who Haydn gets along with, other than Ben, is someone I want to get to know." She explained, smiling gently at Ace. "Besides... I see a bit of you in me. Someone who is different from your people."

Ace blushed and simply shrugged. He hadn't spoken much since the incident with his mother, but Pocahontas didn't mind. She enjoyed just standing with him and talking, sometimes asking Ace questions that he'd answer.

That was when Mal and Audrey's grandmother started interacting, and Audrey had to come over and say just who Mal was.

Pocahontas frowned at Audrey's grandmother, clicking her tongue and shaking her head as Ben tried to diffuse the situation.

"Queen Leah, it's okay. Maleficent is still on the island." Ben said, putting his hands on Mal's shoulders. "Don't you remember my proclamation to give the second generation a chance?" As he spoke, Pocahontas watched as Ace grew uncomfortable, and Haydn was quickly making his way across the field to Ace, a worried look starting to take over his face. She turned back to Ben and Leah, watching and waiting for the proper moment to step in.

"A chance to what, Ben?" Leah snapped, stepping away, "To destroy us? Don't you remember the poison apples? The spells? My daughter... She was raised by fairies because of your mother! Her first words... Her first steps... I missed it all!" Her gaze slid over to Ace, and Pocahontas watched the boy tense.

"Even worse, the people who lost their family members to that insane Queen of Hearts, always shouting 'Off with their heads'!"

Pocahontas's eyes widened when Ace suddenly choked and collapsed to the ground, a hand snapping up to his throat while the other gripped at his hair. Her eyes grew angry as the boy let out a sob, Haydn skidding along the ground to Ace side and placing his hands over Ace's ears, lifting his head so he could see him.

"Even worse, her son is here! How many people has he murdered in cold blood, huh? You can't trust someone that insane!" Leah clearly didn't notice what had happened, and the villain kids snapped, angry at her for claiming Ace had killed anyone. Even Ben defended him.

Pocahontas looked down at the sound of whimpering, seeing Ace's chest heave fir air, his eyes wide and filled with fear. Something had triggered him, she realized, her eyes going wide. Something about his mother. She knelt next to Ace, looking at Haydn to see what she could do. Haydn shook his head, focusing only on Ace as the boy's red eyes filled with tears. He was mouthing something, his hand tightening on his throat a little.

"Ace, hey, breathe. Don't listen to her." Haydn murmured, before trying to get Ace to match his breathing, quickly removing one of his hands from Ace's ears to remove the hand on his throat. "Ace, listen to me. You are such a good boy. No one will cut off you head." Haydn murmured, and Pocahontas grew furious.

Pocahontas turned to Audrey's grandmother, her regal air snapping like a twig. "That is enough, Leah!" She said, gaining the attention of the growing crowd of the argument. All of their heads snapped over to her, and the villain kids gasped, rushing to Ace's side, argument forgotten.

Leah looked venomous as Pocahontas interrupted them, but she was undeterred, straightening her back. "The kids are not their parents! If anything, you are the evil one!" Pocahontas snapped, stepping closer. Audrey gasped as Leah's jaw dropped.

"How dare you call my grammy evil!" Audrey shouted.

"I admit, it may be harsh of me to say that, but anyone who has eyes can see just what her words have done to this child!" Pocahontas pointed to Ace and the others, all except Haydn having moved away to watch nervously as her son tried to bring Ace back from his panic.

Queen Leah's eyes widened, a soft gasp escaping her. The others in the area gasped as well, except Chad and Audrey.

"I'm sorry...." Ace croaked, shaking as Haydn pulled him into his arms, rubbing his back. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, don't kill me..." He said, and Haydn looked heartbroken.

"No, no, Ace! Ace, no one is going to kill you! I told you, you're a good boy, Ace. You're safe here." Haydn whispered.

Audrey scoffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "He's faking! He's malicious, a freak!"

"He's a carbon copy of his mother!" Chad added, and their parents gasped.

"Audrey!"

"Chad!"

Pocahontas was furious, and she walked over, glancing at Aurora and Phillip for permission before walking to Audrey and slapping her. Audrey gasped, placing a hand over the cheek that was slapped.

"How dare you?!"

"You deserved it, you spoiled brat! He is your classmate and a kind boy! Have you been picking on him this entire time?!"

"He's a villain!" Chad hissed. "What do you think villains teach their kids? Kindness? Fair play? How not to kill anyone who crosses their path?"

"Enough! Chad, I expected better from you!" Cinderella snapped, walking over angrily, her husband not far behind. He looked furious as well.

"You are princes and princesses! Kings and Queens! How dare you act this way!" Pocahontas shouted, looking at everyone except those who were around Ace, trying to help Haydn.

"Most of us never started as royalty! We were shunned and tormented by villains for some reason or another. But don't you see? The kids are different! They've been surrounded by evil their whole lives! They have been stuck with their parents this whole time! You think they'll be _nice_ to them?

"The kids are not responsible for their parents or their crimes! They are probably victims, just like us!" Pocahontas stomped her foot, Ace flinching from shock. She gave him an apologetic smile, before the fire returned in her eyes. "I am disappointed in every one of you. You are prejudice. You didn't care about the kids on that island, especially not like Ben here."

She walked over to Haydn and Ace, kneeling next to the Prince of Hearts. "Ace? Hey, are you feeling better?" She asked, her voice soft. Ace shook his head, still shaking in Haydn's arms. Evie was crouched behind him, hands on his shoulders.

Pocahontas nodded, looking to Haydn. "Keme*, sweetheart, take him back to your room. Bring him some tea, like I used to do for you and Thomas... He needs rest." She said softly, running her hand through Haydn's hair. "He'll be alright, Keme. I know you and his friends will help him."

Haydn nodded, slowly standing with Ace in his arms. He looked at his mom gratefully, smiling weakly. "Thank you, Annazama*..."

With that, Haydn walked back to their dorm, the villain kids following him closely. Ben looked at his parents sadly, before shaking his head and walking away.

Pocahontas stood, brushing off her skirt as she did. She shook her head at the adults, sending a small glare at Audrey and Chad. "I suggest you all relearn what it means to be royalty. Because you all have done a terrible job." With all her words said, she turned, walking back to her husband and Thomas. "If I hear you disregard that boy ever again, John, I'm going to leave you and take Haydn and that boy with me."

John gaped at her. "Y-You can't-"

"I can and I will! Just because women were supposed to follow the word of men when we got married, does not mean it's still allowed now! So pay attention to what you say, John, because I've stayed all these years from how accepting you are, even if you tried to change me, and if you call that boy a murderer or consider him his mother any more, you know what will happen." Pocahontas huffed, walking away with Thomas right behind.

\-------

Ben's coronation came faster than anyone wanted. The royals were still buzzing and uneasy about what Pocahontas had said. They were still uneasy about the villain kids.

Ace had been like a zombie since the incident, no matter what Haydn or the others tried. He just looked sad, and scared. He flinched from touch and never spoke anymore, shaking more often. The princes and princesses who shamed him before still sneered at him, Audrey and Chad still actively snapping at him.

Haydn had to stand with his parents, near the front of the ceremony, almost directly across from Audrey and her family while Ace stood with the other villain kids at the balcony. Haydn thought Ace looked strikingly beautiful in his suit, a crimson red with black and gold trimming. He himself was wearing traditional Native American clothing that his mother had given him.

When Jane stole her mother's wand, Ace followed the others down to where Mal was, snatching the wand from Jane.  
Haydn felt his heart break at the sight, knowing why he was doing this but wishing he had been trusted a little more. He could see Audrey's smirk from behind them.

Pocahontas put her hand on Haydn's shoulder, giving it a firm squeeze. Looking up, Haydn saw her eyes were locked on Ace, her jaw set. He looked back at Ace, saw how fear and unease were leaking into his posture even as they stood there, listening to Mall as she listened off things that made the Lost kids happy. Her smile was sad as she looked to Ace and said, "And you, Ace. Being away from the island makes you happy. Being with _Haydn_ makes you happy, just like being with Ben makes me happy." She said, laughing wetly from her tears. Haydn felt himself blush, looking at Ace, who finally had color showing on his cheeks after what felt like so long.

"I choose good, you guys." Mal said, and she held out her hand. Soon, everyone but Ace had their hand on top of hers, and he looked panicked, eyes wide and hand going towards his throat.

"Ace, come on... I know you choose good." Jay said softly, all of his friends looking at him sadly. Ace shook his head, his voice cracking as he spoke.

"Y-You don't understand... I-If I don't.... S-She'll kill me..!" He said, voice panicked. Pocahontas' grip tightened, and Haydn bit his lip, knowing his mom was mad now.

Ben's father stepped forward, looking alarmed. "Who said they would kill you?"

Ace flinched, curling in on himself. "M-My.... My moth- my Queen, did....." He said softly, and the entire room fell silent, everyone holding their breath from shock. Haydn was stunned that no one thought that villains would threaten their kids. He broke away from the royals, rushing over to Ace. He smiled at him, and was about to offer his hand to him when Maleficent cackled, storming into the room.

Haydn grabbed Ace, pulling him close to his side and away from her. Ace whimpered, shaking against him as Maleficent shouted, "I'm back!"

"Go away, mother." Mal said tiredly.

She and her mother bickered, and things escalated until Maleficent had frozen everyone but the Lost kids. Ace gasped, shaking Haydn gently. "Haydn?!" He asked worriedly, only to get silence as a response. He bit his lip and slipped out of his hold, going to the others when Maleficent was distracted.

They looked relieved as he came over, but Mal was soon distracted by conversation with Maleficent. When she turned into a dragon Evie shined her mirror right in her eyes, and Ace ducked, swiping Maleficent's feet out from under her to make her collapse. Mal grabbed Ace by the collar and pulled him back, making him gasp from surprise even as Carlos helped him scramble back to his feet.

The good in Mal's heart managed to shrink Maleficent, and Fairy Godmother unfroze, explaining what had happened. She looked at Ace gently, smiling at him. "The Queen of Hearts won't be able to reach you hear, Child. None of them will." After saying that and seeing the slight relief of his face, she turned everyone turned back to normal.

"Ace!" Haydn shouted after a moment and he rushed over, hugging Ace tightly. "Thank god you are alright!"

Mal stopped Ben from roaring and attacking nothing that was there any longer, laughing softly along with the rest.

Ace laughed softly, hugging Haydn back as he did. "I want to stay." He said softly, looking up at Haydn's face with tears shining in his eyes. "I really, really want to stay."

Pocahontas smiled as she walked over, placing a hand on Haydn's shoulder and offering her hand to Ace. "You are welcome to our family, Ace. Whenever you need a place to go." She said, smiling as Ace let her touch him. She pulled both boys into a hug, rubbing their arms gently before letting them go as she saw their friends coming over to them.

They cheered as they jumped onto Ace and Haydn's backs, hugging them tightly as they all laughed.

"Let's get this party started!" The others shouted, and when Ace saw Haydn's smile, he knew everything would be okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *If my research was correct, these are what the names with the asterisks mean in Pocahontas's native language
> 
> Keme: Secret  
> \- this would be the name that Pocahontas gave Haydn when she found out just how much he enjoyed learning about her side of the family and her culture, so she gave him his own name and the reason it's "Secret" is because John had no idea Haydn wanted to learn about it, and he thought he had gotten Pocahontas to stop so she could be a "proper Englishwoman"
> 
> Annazama: mother


	6. Something Better

Haydn understood that things wouldn't turn back to normal the moment the villain kids chose to be good, but it still hurt to see how everyone shied away from Ace and his friends like they were a plague. It was strange to him, how they all accepted the daughter of Maleficent, the worst criminal of them all, with some hesitancy or none at all, but Ace walked into the room and they all acted like he was about to attack them like his mother had threatened him on the Island. It hurt to watch, too.

Those who were friends with the villain kids, like Ben, Jane, Lonnie, Doug and him, they weren't afraid of Ace, but everyone else was terrified he would snap and attack them. Those who were his friends, tried to explain to the others that he wasn't like that, but it was like pulling teeth when Audrey and Chad were involved. They only made everything worse, and Alice's daughter was no help, either. Every time Ace came into view of the Wonderland "good girl"'s daughter, she would run away screaming bloody murder. Mal was one more time away from casting a silencing spell on her.

Ace had all but given up. He still spoke as little as possible, still kept his gaze from meeting anyone else's, and on many occasions he had returned to their room with bloodshot eyes and just looked completely exhausted. Haydn had actually started forcing Ace to sleep in the same bed as him so the poor boy could feel loved and have a peaceful night of sleep, much like how he had been forcing Ace to take care of himself. He wasn't entirely sure if the Prince could feel how hard his heart was pounding each night, but he figured that since Ace had yet to say anything, it was alright. He vaguely wondered if it was possible Ace was taking it the wrong way, but he hoped everything else he did refuted the idea.

Today was, for some reason other than the sudden downpour of rain, more draining and terrible than all the others so far. When Haydn and Ace were heading to their classes or elsewhere, they had somehow managed to run into Audrey, Chad, _and_ Alice's daughter at some point throughout the day. Well, more like they ran into Audrey and Chad, and heard Alice's daughter running in the complete opposite direction. Needless to say, the interactions did not end well.

After that, Haydn's not really sure what happened. They were in their history class together, learning about Elsa and Anna, Princesses of Arrendelle, and Ace had been progressively becoming more and more jittery, more shaky, more hurt looking until he had just snapped and ran out of the classroom. Chad had chuckled from the front of the room, and Haydn had to stop himself from attacking the other male, reminding himself it wasn't worth it as he asked to look for Ace and was given a worried confirmation that it was okay from his teacher. He had spent a good portion of the day looking for Ace, but he still didn't see him again until around ten at night.

He had been in their room, pacing nervously, when Ace had come in, soaking wet and dripping water from head to toe.

"Ace!" Haydn cried, running over to him and gently taking his hands in his as he pulled him into the room. "What happened, bud? Where have you been?" He asked softly, grabbing a towel and immediately starting to wrap it around him. Ace didn't respond, only looking down at the floor as water dripped from his hair and clothes. Haydn didn't ask again, knowing he probably wouldn't get a response, and focused on trying to dry Ace so he wouldn't catch a cold.

Eventually he went to Ace's dresser and opened the drawer that held his pajamas, walking over to Ace again and nudging him towards the private bathroom in their room after shoving the fuzziness and warmest looking pair he could find into his hands. "Take a warm shower, get dressed. I don't want you getting sick."

Ace had done so almost robotically, making Haydn's heart break, and he was momentarily glad that Fall Break was right around the corner and his mother had been gracious enough to let all the villain kids and even Ben stay with them for the week, because then Ace could finally relax and begin to feel safe again.

Haydn bit his lip, starting to pace the room again, before picking up the communicator the school issued every student to have- it was basically a cellphone meant solely for the school- and opened the latest group thread with all of Ace's friends.

_Haydn: Guys, he came back!_

Almost immediately, it exploded into a flurry of texts. His friends had been just as worried as he was, but it still surprised him how they must have all been waiting for a text that he was alright.

 _Evie: OMG is he okay?!_  
_Mal: Did he tell you anything?_  
_Jay: How'd he look?_  
_Carlos: Oh thank god he's back_  
_Ben: Is he okay?_  
_Lonnie: He okay?_  
_Jane: That's great! Is he okay?_  
_Doug: Thank goodness_

Haydn laughed faintly at how relieved some of the texts sounded, and he quickly typed a response to their questions, listening to the steady sound of water coming from the shower.

 _Haydn: He's not cut up or anything, but he looks like a drowned cat and I forced him to go take a warm shower, which he's doing right now. He hasn't spoken to me, and he looks like he has all week when he comes back this late._  
_Haydn: Bloodshot, puffy eyes and utterly exhausted._  
_Evie: )':_  
_Lonnie: D:_  
_Carlos: Make sure he stays warm, Haydn_  
_Jay: yeah the last time he did something like this he got really sick_  
_Evie: want us to bring anything?_  
_Haydn: You really don't have to, and I think he'd rather not have a huge crowd of people around him right now_  
_Ben: Let us know if you need anything, buddy_  
_Haydn: Will do. I have to go now, Ace is done showering._

Haydn quickly pressed send and he set the phone down on the beside table, sighing heavily. He ran a hand through his hair before looking back to the door leading to the bathroom when it creaked open. Ace walked out, dressed in red and black checkered fuzzy pajama pants and a simple cream colored long sleeved shirt with chipping golden swirls around his shoulders. After watching Ace climb into one of the beds, Haydn grabbed his own pajamas and changed into them in the bathroom. He came back out dressed in gray sweatpants and a light blue long sleeved shirt, and he quietly went over to Ace, sitting in the bed next to him but not getting under the covers. He looked down at Ace, who had turned away from him.

He noted that Ace's hair was still wet, but he definitely didn't look as cold as before and it was a normal occurrence that he didn't dry his hair after showering, so he didn't point it out. Instead, he started talking about any random thing he could think of. When that didn't seem to work on capturing Ace's attention, he stopped, biting his lip.

"Hey, Ace? You asleep?" He asked in a quiet whisper. When Ace slowly shook his head, Haydn nodded. "Want to watch a movie? Your pick." He waited for a few long moments before receiving a nod of confirmation, and Haydn smiled, turning on their room's tv and handing the remote to Ace, who had rolled back over and sat up to face the tv.

When Ace was picking out something, Haydn grabbed his school-issued phone and he once again responded on the thread.

 _Haydn: Actually.... Would anyone mind bringing us some hot chocolate and snacks? I don't think Ace has eaten in hours and he wants to watch a movie._  
_Lonnie: I'll make chocolate chip cookies! :D_  
_Mal: Evie and I will handle the hot chocolate_  
_Ben: I'll get you two some more snacks_  
_Haydn: :') You guys are such wonderful friends._  
_Jay: want me to bring you guys a blanket to cuddle under?_  
_Evie: Jay!_  
_Jay: what?_

Haydn laughed softly, smiling and shaking his head at their friends' antics and slightly blushing at Jay's question. He knew he was teasing him. Ace looked over to Haydn questioningly, and Haydn explained. "The others are bringing us some snacks from the kitchen, and Jay asked if he should bring a blanket."

He nodded in understanding, turning back to the tv, still flipping through the options. He seemed to be looking for something specific, although Haydn wasn't sure what it was. Eventually he found something he wanted to watch, and he put it on. Haydn chuckled slightly when he saw it was a Muppets movie, but didn't complain, because he liked that movie as well. The movie was "A Muppet Treasure Island", and it was honestly one of his favorites, and judging by Ace's expression and how he seemed to relax while watching it, he had much of the same opinion.

About twenty minutes or so into the movie, Haydn got a text from Lonnie saying that they had left a tray with everything on it outside their door, and he got up from the bed to go get it. When he opened the door, he was hit by the smell of freshly popped popcorn and baked cookies, although the tray also had a few small bags of other snacks on it, and the mugs of hot chocolate were topped with whipped cream and a drizzle of chocolate sauce on one and a drizzle of caramel sauce on the other. He knew immediately which one was which.

Along with the tray of treats was a blanket, courtesy of Jay, and he rather ungracefully kicked it into the room since his hands were full with the tray. He placed the tray on the empty bed and picked up the blanket, draping it over the bed and Ace in the process. He let out a surprised sound when Haydn threw it over his head, laughing a little as he pulled it off. Haydn laughed as he brought the tray over, setting it by their feet so he could get situated on the bed without worrying about knocking anything over, and he reached up to fix Ace's hair, which was now sticking up at strange angles.

"You look so dorky right now." He breathed through a laugh, not noticing the blush on Ace's cheeks. "It's nice to hear you laugh again, though. Even though it's only been a few weeks, it's still so strange not to hear your laugh." Ace nodded a little, eyes lighting up when Haydn brought the tray closer and saw the personalized hot chocolates, courtesy of Mal and Evie, and the homemade chocolate chip cookies from Lonnie. He immediately grabbed the drink with the caramel drizzle, taking a sip of it and relaxing even further.

Haydn quickly snapped a photo of Ace when he was unaware, sipping from his drink, and then took a picture of their little set up. He sent the group the pictures.

_Haydn:_

_(another picture sent)_  
_Haydn: He's feeling a little better now. He even laughed! :D_  
_Mal: Evie's currently cheering as quietly as she can with Lonnie._  
_Jay: Glad you liked my little addition ;)_  
_Haydn: Thank you so much for this, guys._  
_Ben: wait, are you guys sharing the same /bed/?_  
_Lonnie: OMG! It is the same bed!!_  
_Carlos: are you seriously cuddling?!_

Haydn quickly set his phone down, focusing on the movie again as he grabbed one of the warm cookies and started tearing it apart. He hummed happily when he tastes the melted chocolate chips, and he popped the rest of the cookie into his mouth, grabbing his hot chocolate. He sighed when he tasted the dash of coffee mixed into his, and he was very glad Mal and Evie were the ones who did hot chocolate, because they always seemed to know the perfect amount of whatever the person wanted in the drink even though they had never had it before coming to Auradon.

He watched out of the corner of his eye as Ace took one of the chocolate chip cookies and bit into it carefully, his eyes locked on the movie and humming along with Jim as he sang his first song in the movie.

 **_I look around here and I want to cry_ **  
**_I feel like the world is passing me by_ **

Haydn reached over, running his hand through Ace's hair for a moment before rubbing his shoulder instead. As he listened to the song, he realized that it fit Ace in some ways, because he knew that there _was_ something better out there for Ace. One that didn't involve being an outcast.

When Gonzo sang **_And I'll be by your side_** , Haydn softly sang those words as well, just loud enough for Ace to hear as he gave Ace's shoulder a small squeeze before removing his hand and reaching for the popcorn. He popped a few pieces in his mouth, watching the movie again. He missed the look of relief that crossed Ace's face, but felt how he leaned against his arm, resting his head on his shoulder, and he heard the soft thank you that Ace murmured between small bites of his second cookie as the finale of the song was sung.

 **_And I know this life I've living_ **  
**_Can't be my destiny_ **  
**_There's gotta be something better_ **  
**_Something better_ **  
**_There's gotta be something better for me_ **  
**_(And me)_ **  
**_(Wait a minute, what about me)_ **

**_There's gotta be something better than this for you and me!_ **


	7. The Day the Villain Kids Tried Hot Chocolate

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A time before bad things happened, one of the sweeter moments between Good Kids and "Bad"

The day the villain kids tried hot chocolate was a little over two weeks before everything had gone downhill with Ace.

Lonnie, who had started hanging out with the villain kids more after Mal fixed her hair, had suggested a movie night for the girls, complete with hot chocolate and all the fixings of sugary snacks they could grab or make. When Mal and Evie had asked what hot chocolate was, Lonnie was so shocked she asked if any of them had ever had it. Of course, none of the villain kids had, and so she grabbed the girls, marched over to Jay and Carlos's dorm room, and grabbed all the boys there, which ended up being Jay, Carlos, Ace, and Haydn.

Lonnie explained what she wanted to do, and Haydn fully agreed, so they all went to the kitchen and got out some mugs for the drinks. Lonnie went about grabbing everything they would need to make them as well as flavor them, while Haydn explained just what they were doing and going to drink.

"Okay, so you guys have tried chocolate, right?" He said, leaning forward on one of the counters. When he received nods from the group, he smiled. "Well, hot chocolate is a drink that consists of either melted chocolate or chocolate powder mixed with warm milk. The powder can also be made with hot water, but I recommend either adding milk or cream, or just going for milk. It basically drinking chocolate milk heated up."

"What's all the extra stuff Lonnie's getting out?" Ace asked, pointing to the jars and cups of things Lonnie was placing in front of each mug.

Haydn smiled at Ace. "Those are extra flavorings! See, a wonderful thing about hot chocolate is that you can add whatever you want to it, as long as it goes with chocolate. Some people add coffee, some add orange zest, or peppermint, lemon zest, whatever Mexican hot chocolate has-"

"I think it's cinnamon." Lonnie piped up, and Haydn smiled.

"Yeah, that's it. Thanks, Lon. Or you could add salted or unsalted caramel, etc. It all depends on what you like. I personally like mine with coffee."

"What do you like, Lonnie?" Evie asked, walking over to the girl to see what she was doing. Lonnie hummed in thought, before shrugging.

"I usually like my hot chocolate plain, so no extra flavors, but sometimes I'll add either orange zest to it or a bit of cookie dough. Then I usually top it with whipped cream and marshmallows."

"We have no idea what any of that stuff is." Mal said after a moment, and Haydn grinned.

"You're about to find out!"

Lonnie started speaking again as she set up the double boiler and turned on the stove, pulling out chocolate chips and pouring a certain amount into the bowl. "So I was thinking, we could make a certain kind of hot chocolate in each mug, so that you guys can try each one, and then we could remake the ones you like if more than one of you likes a certain kind. You guys can always experiment later on what other kinds you can make."

"If you guys don't want to drink from the same mug, we can give you spoons and you can just take a spoonful of each drink." Haydn suggested, and after glancing at each other, Mal spoke up.

"We should probably do spoons, just to keep someone from chugging down whichever one they like most before the others can try it."

Haydn nodded, and he went to where all the silverware was kept, grabbing six spoons; one for each Lost kid, and one for mixing the hot chocolate with the flavoring. When he gave them each a spoon, Lonnie explained how to make the drink itself, and explained that there were multiple ways to make it. Her personal favorite, as well as Haydn's, was to do it in a double boiler with actual chocolate instead of with powder in either a saucepan or mix. She explained that it tasted creamer for them when made with melted chocolate, even though plenty of others were perfectly content with the creaminess of the powder made one.

Haydn stepped in to help Lonnie with pouring the hot drink into mugs, adding a certain amount to each one and handling the hot pans while Lonnie got to mixing in the flavorings while the Lost kids tried the plain hot chocolate. She explained that they could be as strong flavored or as weak as they wanted it to be, but she was going to add the general amount of flavoring so they could all taste it.

Haydn watched their reaction to plain hot chocolate, humming softly in content when he saw how excited they were to taste it. He especially watched Ace. Ace kept his expression neutral, but his eyes expressed interest and happiness at the taste, and Haydn hoped they could find one that each of the Lost kids enjoyed.

The next one they had tried was peppermint. Evie really enjoyed it but Carlos didn't like it, and Ace commented that it seemed like a winter-y kind of drink. On and on they tried types of hot chocolate, each giving a comment on how they felt it tasted and whether or not they liked it. Ace had kept quiet on whether or not he enjoyed it, but his eyes spoke for him. Haydn and the others all came to the same conclusion as they watched Ace try the drinks:

He hated the Mexican hot chocolate, thought the orange chocolate was too strong, liked the peppermint and coffee hot chocolates, didn't have much of an opinion on some of the other ones, but the one that he loved, had yet to be found.

They had a few types of hot chocolate left, and they hoped it was one of the few remaining. The last choices they had were Vanilla, Salted Caramel, and a small amount of hot chocolate with cookie dough dissolving in it.

When Ace tried the cookie dough one, his eyes showed that he wasn't all too pleased with it. He commented that "it was really sweet." and he left it at that. When he tried the Salted caramel, the others noticed how he eyes lit up and his lips nearly quirked into a smile, and Haydn smiled.

"I really like this one." Ace had admitted shyly, red coloring his cheeks, and Jay and Carlos had laughed, patting his shoulders in a comforting way. Haydn hummed and nodded, sticking that bit of info in the back of his mind to remember.

The last one to find out which one they liked best was Mal, and she enjoyed the vanilla in her hot chocolate.

These, were the end results:  
Mal- Vanilla Hot Chocolate  
Evie- Peppermint Hot Chocolate  
Carlos- Peanut Buttercup Hot Chocolate  
Jay- Mexican Hot Chocolate  
Ace- Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate

Haydn was a little surprised none of them ended up _loving_ the same type of hot chocolate, but he knew it was probably just as well. It was getting late, so Haydn cleaned up the mugs they weren't going to bring back with them to their dorms and the dirty dishes they had used, while Lonnie had the Lost kids try toppings. They all enjoyed whipped cream, but marshmallows were something Mal and Carlos were going to have to get used to. When Haydn went over, he suggested that some of them try a drizzle of chocolate sauce on top of the whipped cream, or in Ace's case, a drizzle of caramel.

After Haydn added some stuff to his own hot chocolate, they went back to their dorms, wishing each other goodnight when the girls had to go upstairs, and the boys split off to their own dorms. Haydn opened the door to his and Ace's room, and Ace went to turned on the tv to find a movie for them to watch as Haydn changed into pajamas. When he came out, Ace had found a movie and paused it at the start so that he could go and change into his own pajamas.

A few minutes later and Ace was back outside, dressed in his ragged and large pajamas compared to Haydn's well kept and perfectly fitting ones. Even though it had been around a month since coming to Auradon, and Haydn was nothing if not kind and selfless, Ace still felt uncomfortable about being so....exposed about himself in front of someone who hasn't grown up with him. The only nice clothes he had were the ones that Evie made for him, and he made sure not to let those get too tarnished or dirty, because he didn't want to ruin her hard work, or seem any lesser to the people who were above him and were afraid of him. All his other clothes he wore with less pride. They were comfortable, but they were either too big and old, or absolute _rags_ at this stage in the game, so he usually only wore them as pajamas or clothes when he didn't want to go anywhere and as few people as possible would see them. He was embarrassed most of his clothes were worse for wear, when Haydn's clothes most likely weren't more than a few years old and they fit him perfectly.

Haydn smiled when he saw Ace come out of the bathroom dressed in a well worn red sweater that slipped off his shoulder, exposing a few pale, faint scars, and plain black pajama pants. He actually thought they looked rather cute on him. He patted the spot next to him on the couch, and Ace crept over, sitting down next to Haydn as he grabbed his drink again, pulling his knees up to his chest. Haydn started the movie, and they fell into silence.

They were quiet as they sipped at their drinks and watched the movie, but in no way was it awkward. In fact, Ace felt more comfortable than he had in days, sipping on a warm drink, watching an adorable kids movie, and being beside Haydn. Haydn shared his sentiments, and he made sure Ace knew that by lightly tapping his lap to let him know that if he wanted, he could lay his head there and Haydn could run his hand through his hair. They had learned it calmed Ace down a few weeks ago, after another particularly bad nightmare, and had started doing it much more often, both of them enjoying it.

At some point, Ace wasn't entirely sure when, Haydn turned to him and laughed softly, saying, "You have a little something, right here." before reaching over and gently wiping away something with his thumb from the tip of his nose. When he saw it was whipped cream, he blushed and wiped at his mouth with his shirt sleeve even though there wasn't anything there, looking away shyly.

Haydn laughed softly again, licking the cream off his finger, and reached over, ruffling Ace's hair playfully. He could see the tips of Ace's ears turn red. "You're so cute." He whispered, hoping Ace didn't hear as he leaned back and drank the rest of his hot chocolate, setting the mug down on the coffee table in front of them. Ace finished drinking his as well, licking his lips before he started curling up like a cat on the couch, resting his head on Haydn's lap as they fell into a comfortable position. Haydn's hand played with Ace's hair, which had become much softer and silkier since coming to Auradon, and he smiled, feeling Ace relax and grow drowsy.

They watched the rest of the movie, and when the credits started rolling, Haydn turned the tv off. Ace let out a rather pitiful whine of disapproval as their room was flooded in darkness, making Haydn laugh as he maneuvered his way through the dark room and turn on one of their bedside lamps. Ace refused to move from his spot on the couch, although he was glaring ever so slightly at where Haydn used to be. Haydn bit back another laugh, knowing the Prince of Hearts wouldn't like it if he commented on how _cute_ he was when he was sleepy and that his glare wasn't as effective at it should have been.

"I don't want to sleep yet." Ace said softly, crossing his arms over his chest. Haydn walked back over, sitting down next to Ace once more. Ace made no move to resume placing his head on Haydn's lap, although he had looked like he was considering it. Haydn rubbed Ace's shoulder gently.

"Come on, Ace." Haydn said just as softly, smiling encouragingly at him. "You're already falling asleep, and it's better for you to sleep in your bed instead of the couch."

When Ace defiantly shook his head again, Haydn sighed. "You want to do this the hard way?" He asked, smiling mischievously. Ace whined slightly again, yawning afterwards and curling up a bit more on the couch. Haydn laughed at the fact Ace reminded him greatly of a cat, before standing. "Alright, hard way it is."

He quickly picked up the sleepy Prince with a scary amount of ease, making him snap awake. He yelped in surprise, wrapping his arms around Haydn's neck.

"W-What are you doing?!"

"It's time for bed, Ace." He scolded lightly, walking over to Ace's bed and carefully setting the boy down. He tucked him into his bed, much to Ace's protests, and went over to his bed after doing so, climbing in and turning off the lights. After a few minutes of Ace tossing and turning, Haydn heard his breathing even out, and soon, Haydn joined him in sleep.


	8. Busy Times Mean Change

Tourney and other festivities were picking up again at Auradon Prep after break, which meant that Ben, Jay, Haydn and Carlos were all disturbingly busy and left the girls and Ace all by their lonesome. Haydn was only busy with student council work- which actually ended up somehow having like five different projects going on all at once, but Ben was busy with both student council _and_ tourney. Which meant that Mal and Ace suddenly found themselves together more often when even Evie had to go off with Doug for some reason or another.

It made Ace sad, in a way, that now he came back to their room to either Haydn working himself ragged on either homework or stuff for student council late at night, or the half-Native American boy wasn't there at all. He had gotten used to his constant comforting presence, and the fact he couldn't do anything to ease Haydn's burden just made him feel terrible. Haydn did so much for him, and when it counted, all Ace could do was usher him to bed when it got too late, or offer to get him a drink or take over some of the paperwork for him. It felt like he wasn't doing anything at all, since Haydn always ended up brushing him off by saying, "Don't worry, I'll go to bed soon, just get some rest, Ace." Or "No, no, I can't let you do that for me, you shouldn't have to deal with this." He always took the offer for a drink-usually either coffee, or mocha hot chocolate that was two parts coffee one part chocolate, but Ace knew that it still wasn't enough. He wasn't _really_ helping. Not like Haydn did for him.

"You're doing your best, Ace." Mal told him one day, when Ace explained what was happening while everyone else was off doing whatever they did and they were stuck by themselves. "Haydn doesn't mean to brush you off, but he's got a lot on his plate, and sometimes, there isn't anything you can do to ease it."

"I know, but... He's been doing so much for me. It feels wrong to just leave him be." Ace sighed, leaning back on the steps. They were in front of the school courtyard, basking in the sun and taking in the warmth of the early spring day. Evie had started making summer clothes for them already, wanting to update their wardrobes now that the warm Auradon weather was only going to get hotter and the fabrics here were different. They made her want to experiment.

"Sometimes just being there is best." Mal said with a small hum, flipping through her mother's spell book as she glanced at her friend. "Like what Haydn does for you, and I do for Ben when I see him." Her eyes lit up after a moment, and she grinned. "Hey! Why don't you go visit him in the student council room for lunch?"

Ace looked at her like she was crazy, huffing slightly. "Are you serious, Mal? The _other_ student council members are there- did you forget they don't like me?"

Mal scoffed, closing the book and rolling her eyes. "Please, they're all idiots. Your mother was crazy, not you. Although you do have a scary streak sometimes when your friends are threatened." She mused, tapping her chin. "You're like... An assassin- silent, deadly, and quick with a blade."

Ace frowned, looking away. "That's not helpful, Mal." The half-fae laughed heartily, throwing her head back, but she quickly sobered as she looked at him, her eyes saddening slightly as she reached out to give his shoulder a comforting squeeze.

"Oh, come on, Ace! You know it's true! You may be so much more like your father, but you _are_ her son. You come from Wonderland, just like them, which makes you a little crazy. Add on what your mother did to you and how much she _trained_ you. You're like a soldier. You are a warrior Prince- the scariest kind. People see that instead of who you are all the time," She grinned again, leaning over and wrapping an arm around Ace's neck lightly so she could pull him close and start ruffling his hair as she half-baby talked the rest of her sentence, "A big mushy scaredy cat with a bigger heart than everyone."

Ace whined, swatting at her hands with a small smile. "Mal, stop it!" He laughed, easily pulling free from her grasp. "You are such a dork!"

Mal laughed, still ruffling his hair. "There's that smile! It's been gone for _way_ too long!" She hummed, leaning back and looking at the sky again. "Just ignore the others. Haydn won't let you be hurt, and neither will Ben. Heck, I'll come with you. I want to see my boyfriend."

Ace laughed, shaking his head fondly and rolling his eyes. "I still can't believe _you_ of all people have a boyfriend." He mumbled, making Mal gasp and lightly hit his arm with her book.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" She asked with mock indignance, making Ace laugh.

"Oh, nothing." He sang, grinning as he looked away from her.

"You are such a jerk!" Mal laughed, before standing. She brushed off her jeans before turning and offering her hand to Ace, who took it. She pulling him up with ease, before slinging her arm over his shoulders as they walked away. "Now, come on, let's go watch the boys practice."

\--------

Ace sighed, rubbing the back of his neck and flinching as Alice's daughter went running again. Mal growled, huffing slightly as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Okay, that's it. We are stopping this _now_." She growled, stomping towards Alice's daughter. "Hey! Alice look-a-like! Get your butt over here this instant!" She heard a squeak in the distance, and Ace wince.

"No, Mal, really, it's-"

"No, it's not and don't you dare say it is! She is being a coward and an annoyance and I am sick of it!" Mal growled, her eyes glowing green for a moment. Eventually a small girl that really did almost look like the spitting image of Alice walked over, shaking so bad it was clear to see. Ace looked down and away, stepping back and behind Mal so as not to seem intimidating and to give the girl a buffer between them.

"Y-Yes?"

"Why the heck are you being so rude to my friend, huh? Do you have _any_ idea how disgusting it is that you run away _screaming_ whenever you so much as see a glimpse of him?!" Mal snapped, making the girl flinch.

"Mal, really, it's okay." Ace said softly, placing a hand on her shoulder. The girl- Ally, if he remembered correct, squeaked, staring at his hand like it might burn Mal. Ace removed his hand after a moment and went back to rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm used to it at this point."

"But you shouldn't be!" Mal growled, looking to Ally again. "Why do you run away? You're like your mom, right? Always curious, chatty, etc.?"

"Well, yeah, but he's the son of Queen of Hearts! That lady tried to murder my mom over something she didn't do!" Ally said defiantly, although there was still some fear in her eyes. Ace winced, looking down again. Mal growled slightly before pinching the bridge of her nose and sighing.

"Wow, okay. Seems you're an idiot, unlike your mother."

"Mal! Come on, that's unfair-"

"And her not even giving herself the chance to _know_ you isn't?" Mal looked at Ace again, eyes burning with passion. He had to duck his gaze again, kicking lightly at the ground and saying nothing. "That's what I thought." Mal turned to Ally again, who was staring at Ace. "Now then, let me tell you something, you brat. Ace is not his mother, as much as you are a copycat of yours. He is nice, kind, shy, everything that his mother is not. He _listens_ to others. Now you better stop screaming bloody murder every time you see him or I swear I will not hesitate to hex you into-"

"Mal! Seriously, that's enough!" Ace snapped softly, grabbing her wrist. "Let's just go, alright? Let her do what she wants." Ace begged, giving her wrist a small tug. They were already starting to walk away when Ally called out, "Wait!"

Ace stopped, turning to look at her. She looked down, clearing her throat a little as she pulled a lock of her hair over her shoulder so that she could fiddle with it. "Um, I'm sorry. I didn't realize-"

"It's fine." Ace sighed, drained and just wanting to crawl into his bed to hide now. "Everyone does it.... Not as... _Loudly_ as you, but everyone does run away. My mom killed a lot of people and nearly killed your mother, it's understandable. I'm used to it by now, anyway. I'm sorry I scared you, and that Mal tore into you. I won't come near you, so just stop screaming and running away like a lunatic, please. _That's_ the bad part." Ace dropped Mal's wrist, rubbing the back of his neck again and lightly scratching at a scar there. He looked to Mal. "I'm going to my dorm. Stop by later, if you want. I think Haydn's going to be busy all day." He said softly, before making his way back to his room. Mal stayed behind, turning to  lecture Alice's daughter further and knowing Ace wanted to be alone.

When Ace got to his room, he flopped face first onto his bed, groaning softly. He was tired of all the Auradon kids being afraid of him and not masking it. "Can they all just leave me alone.." He mumbled, shoving his face into his pillow while curling up on the bed.

\---------

Ace blinked his eyes open, lifting his head from the pillow and feeling a small sense of dread when he realized he had fallen asleep in Evie's beautifully made clothes and gotten them wrinkled. He whined softly, standing and straightening them the best he could. Someone was knocking at the door to the room. "Ace? You there, buddy?" He gasped slightly at the sound of Carlos, and he smiled a little when he heard a eager bark follow his question.

"Yeah, I'm here. You can come in, Carlos!" He called, grabbing some of his more worn clothes and going to the bathroom to change. He finished changing and walked back out, smiling at Carlos as he sat petting Dude in his bed. "What's up?"

"I heard about your encounter with Ally." Carlos started hesitantly as Ace sat beside him. Ace groaned softly, letting his head fall back. "I just wanted to see if you were okay. Mal told me she hurt you pretty bad."

"I'm fine, Carlos. I've... I've faced a lot worse. It's just draining." Carlos nodded solemnly, understanding what he meant.

"Yeah, I was the same way when I was younger. People always called me dog killer and runt and a bunch of other stuff before you guys became my friends, remember?"

Ace laughed, smiling. "That was the one time being my mother's son was helpful." He said softly, looking at Carlos and Dude. "And now look at you! You're sitting there with a dog in your lap, acing all your courses and making friends." Ace ruffled Carlos' hair. "You've done amazing things."

"Now it's my turn to help you." Carlos grinned, moving Dude onto Ace's lap. Ace started petting him, cooing softly. "Hey, you know, I heard that there are these things called service dogs, and basically they're trained to help you out in some way. Like, people with PTSD can have one, or seizures, and the dogs can tell if a panic attack or seizure are coming and can calm down the person before it starts or when it's happening." Carlos smiled a little. "They even have them for anxiety and depression..." Ace raised an eyebrow, motioning for him to continue and get to the point. Carlos sighed, smiling shyly. " Haydn and I think it'll be good for you... Want to get one?"

"Will the school allow it?" Carlos grinned, leaning close like he was going to whisper a secret. "Well, you didn't hear it from me, but Haydn's been working on the forms for you since the Fairy Godmother said it was alright."

"What?!" Ace asked, shocked. He looked to Carlos, who was smiling brightly. "He has?!"

Carlos nodded. "He said that if you decided to do it, he wanted the papers ready. You'd be surprised just how few people need them here, it's almost scary. I know back home most people would have needed them for some reason or another, and he really didn't want you to back out. Once you made up your mind."

Ace groaned softly, flopping back onto the bed. "Why don't you guys just get me a cat or something?"

"Yeah, we thought about it, but you just seemed like you needed a bit of tender loving care, not the kind of care that a cat gives. Oh, and cats can't go to classes with you."

Ace sighed, looking at Carlos with a small smile. "....I'll think about it. Who knows? Maybe it'll make the other kids trust me more."

Carlos laughed softly, smiling in return. "Yeah, that too."

Ace smiled, sighing softly. "Want to stay and watch a movie?"

"Yeah, sure. I got time." Carlos grinned, bouncing to his feet and heading over to the couch by the tv.

\---------

"I've decided to get a service dog." Ace announced softly at lunch a few days later.

Mal and Jay looked surprised, but Evie looked excited and Carlos grinned, patting his arm. "That's great!" He said, "Haydn said that his mom can take you to the place to pick one out, since he isn't able to."

"How long have you been planning this surprise?" Mal asked, amused. Ace blushed, looking down and scratching lightly at his cheek.

"I've known for a couple of days, but Carlos and Haydn have been planning it for a while." He explained, and Mal nodded.

"Oh, I'll make them some vests! I promise they won't be flashy, Ace." Evie said sweetly, pulling out a notebook and starting to sketch some ideas while Jay grinned.

"So that means you qualified?" Ace nodded, rubbing the back of his neck.

"I guess so... Haydn wouldn't have started the paperwork otherwise, probably. And Fairy Godmother said it was okay."

"Well then, let's go tell Haydn! He needs to call his mom, right?" Mal grinned, taking Ace's hand in hers and pulling him up from the table.

"Ah, wait! I told him last night! We don't need to go!" Ace said quickly, although he still stood beside her. Mal paused, pouting a little when he said that.

"Can we go, anyway?"

Ace laughed softly, nodding. "Yeah, I think so. He said he'd need to give me the papers and he'd tell me when his mom would come by."

"We'll come with. We haven't seen Ben and Haydn for a few days now!" Evie said cheerfully, standing from her spot gracefully. Carlos and Jay followed.

"Yeah, we won't bug them or anything, but we do want to see them." Jay assured when Ace seemed to grow nervous, before slinging his arm over Ace's shoulders. "Let's go."

Ace smiled slightly, nodding. "Alright."


	9. A New Friend

That Saturday, Pocahontas made her way through the halls of Auradon Prep towards her son's room. She found the room number and knocked on the door, hearing a soft "Come in." from inside the room. She opened the door after a short moment, walking into the room to see Ace dressed in red skinny jeans and a thin white long sleeved shirt. "Good morning, Ace."

"Oh, good morning, ma'am." Ace said, a little surprised as he pulled on a black and gold vest. "I didn't know you were coming so early."

Pocahontas smiled, closing the door behind her. "I felt the sooner the better. I still wish to learn more about you, Ace, and I thought we'd make a day of it." She held in a small laugh as Ace blushed darkly, looking down.

"I'm not someone worth knowing about, I'm afraid. Nothing to learn." He motioning towards the sitting areas in  the room, glancing up at her. "Would you like to sit?"

"Oh, no thank you. I like standing." She admitted, smiling. "I'm not wearing those terrible heels, for once."

Ace smiled, laughing weakly. "That's good." He said softly, running a hand through his hair. "Um, I'm sorry Haydn isn't here. Student Council has been keeping him busy."

Pocahontas smiled, waving her hand dismissively at the boy. "Oh, it's alright. He told me he wouldn't be able to meet me today. I'm here to help you get a service dog."

"Yes, he told me you were going to take me..." Ace rubbed the back of his neck, looking away from Pocahontas. "What if they decide I'm not... ill enough for one, or something?"

"You mean because you don't have something as physically taxing as PTSD?" Pocahontas asked with a raised eyebrow, before sighing and walking to the couch and sitting down. "Alright, sweetheart, come here. We need to talk." She said softly, patting the spot next to her.

Ace hesitated for a moment before walking over, sitting next to her. "Ace, listen to me.  They won't turn you away just because you don't have post traumatic stress disorder, although I personally believe you might have something close to it, considering what your mother did to you." She started softly, causing Ace to flinch a little. She carefully placed a hand on his as she continued, giving it a gentle squeeze. "But you've had panic and anxiety attacks, and those are just as bad. A service dog will help you be able to get through the day, and will make you so much happier."

Pocahontas gave Ace a small smile, and he looked away after a moment. "Someone else needs them more than I do... I get by fine without one..." He murmured, and Pocahontas's smile fell a little.

"Ace, I understand where you are coming from, but how about you give it a try, okay? It'll be alright."

Ace bit his lip, staring at the ground for a few moments before slowly nodding. "...Okay."

Pocahontas smiled, standing up and gentle pulling Ace up with her. "There we go. Come now, I think I know which dog will take your fancy." She said, pleased with herself as she led Ace from his room and towards the front of the school. Ace frowned at her back, a little confused.

"How do you know what dogs they have?"

Pocahontas looked back at him at that, laughing softly as she did. "Well, I may have had some free time this week, and went to go look at them myself. There's one there I think you'll love." Ace blinked at her in surprise, nodding slightly. He wasn't entirely sure what to say to that.

\-----

When they got to the Kennel/Training Center, Ace could already feel the nerves of being there crawling up his skin and sinking bad thoughts into his brain that just stayed there, taunting him. Pocahontas carefully took his hand again as they got out of the car, leading him into the building and to the front desk. A short, cheerful lady dressed in pinks and blues stood there, her graying, light brown hair bundled into a tight bun at the top of her head. "Oh, hello again, Pocahontas!" She said cheerfully, her voice squeaky and high pitched.

"Hello, Mary. I brought Ace in to hopefully get his service dog today." Pocahontas said happily, and Mary brightened.

"Oh, yes! Yes, I heard all about that. Jaq and the dogs are right this way." She shimmied her way out from behind the desk, motioning for the two of them to follow her as she went through a hall to the right of the desk. Ace and Pocahontas followed her a bit more slowly, and Ace looked at her. "Aren't those...?"

"Yes, they are." Pocahontas smiled at him. "Fairy Godmother turned the sidekicks of the Princesses into humans before she banned magic. They've made themselves lovely little homes around the towns their friends live. The mice, however, preferred to span out a bit and do different things. Some became tailors, or bakers. Jaq and Mary here decided to try their hand at training service dogs when they saw how many people had bad lives. They're pretty good at it, too." Pocahontas hummed, and Ace nodded slowly, taking in the new information.

"Jaq! Jaq, Ace of Hearts and Pocahontas are here!" Mary called out as they reached a room at the end of the hall and she opened the door.

The room itself was rather large, toys and training setups scattered around the room. Dogs of all shapes and sizes were playing around, barking at each other or playing with a short man with bucked teeth dressed in red and blue. At their entrance, though, the man straightened himself, laughing sheepishly. "Hello! Sorry, I like giving the dogs some play time. Give me a quick second." He said quickly, before letting out a short whistle that had the oldest dogs stopping and waiting while the young ones looked confused.

"Mary, would you be a dear and help me get everyone other than Evergreen, Rune, Midnight, and Joke-Joke back to their side of the room, please?" Jaq asked sweetly, and Mary nodded, giving him a kiss on his cheek as she passed. They collected the puppies, leading the other dogs beside them, and put them on one side of the room, closing the gate that separated the sides, and Jaq smiled at his guests.

"Now then, Ace." He said softly, clasping his hands together in front of himself as he looked at the boy in front of him. "Would you like to look at the dogs while they are doing what they like, or do you want them to line up?"

Ace blinked, surprised by the question and unsure of how to answer. "Uh.... They can just do what they like...?" He said unsurely, and Jaq nodded before turning to the dogs still waiting.

"Play!" At Jaq's words, the four dogs branched off, each going to do their own thing. Ace saw two of them grab a long rope by the ends, tugging and growling at each other playfully. One was rather tall, with wiry gray hair, and the other was a bit shorter, a Labrador Retriever if he was correct, that had dark chocolate colored fur. Then his gaze fell to the biggest dog of the bunch, a black, long haired dog that went up to Ace's waist, at least. This one caught Ace's eye, seeing as it watched him so sternly. Hesitantly, Ace gave it a small smile and wave, and the dog relaxed, barking a greeting before pounding off to play with the other two.

"That was Midnight." Jaq said softly, tone fond. "She likes checking to see if people are really okay before going off to play. She's a good doggie."

Ace nodded, but his eyes fell to the last dog, who was happily chewing on a nylon bone at their feet. This one was smaller than Midnight, probably reaching Ace's knee or so, and their fur was mostly black, their chest and paws white with tan fur on their legs and muzzle. There was a white stripe down the center of their face, ending at their upper lip. They were side-eyeing Ace, and when they noticed him looking at them, their tail started thumping. They stopped chewing on their bone, picking it up by the end and walking over to Ace. They shoved the blunt end of the bone into his hand, and Ace laughed softly, taking the bone and holding it for the dog as he knelt in front of them.

Instead of continuing to chew on the bone, the dog placed their front pass lightly on Ace's thighs and bumped their head against his chest, surprising Ace. Jaq chuckled, "This is Rune. She's the quietest of the bunch, but takes to the lessons well. She's fiercely protective, a fighter as well as a healer. She enjoys physical contact and giving hugs, like what she's doing right now." He said softly, as Rune nudged Ace again before lightly licking Ace's chin. Ace smiled, gently petting her and laughing softly as she took that as a sign to lick him even more.

All four humans in the room laughed as Ace lost his balance and landed on his butt, Rune continuing to kiss him without making so much as a peep. "She also enjoys giving kisses to people she likes."

"Okay, okay!" Ace laughed, lightly starting to push Rune off him. She went easily, but she immediately glued herself to his side, wrapping around his waist with ease as she bumped against his arm lightly before flopping down and going back to the bone Ace had dropped.

Pocahontas was right, he already knew which one he wanted.

"Can I have Rune?" Ace asked after a few minutes of quiet, and Jaq nodded so fast Ace was worried his neck might snap.

"Of course you can, sweetie!" Mary said softly, walking over and offering Ace her hand. He took it, standing up with ease. "Come with me, and we'll get everything you need while Jaq and Mrs. Rolfe get Rune's tags ready, alright?" He nodded, following her into a back room. Mary let go of his hand, and he looked around the room as she riffled through a file cabinet off to the left. The back wall was lined with bags and bags of dog food, and rows of shelves lined the expanse of the room filled with all sorts of dog bed designs, leashes, harnesses, and collars. The wall they came through was lined with travel supplies- like portable water and food bowls- and toys.

"You're lucky you came to us, Ace!" Mary said cheerfully, looking over her shoulder at the prince as she pulled out two bowls from the drawer she had been rifling through. "We have everything you need here, unlike most places! You'd have to go to another store!"

"Wow...." Ace said softly, watching as Mary placed the bowls in a basket before picking it up. She nodded happily, and carefully turned Ace to the rows of leashes, harnesses, and collars.

"Go ahead and choose whichever you like." She said softly, motioning to the items, and Ace bit his lip. What would be good?

He stared at the options, looking over each item, before grabbing a simple black leash and a red collar. He looked at the harnesses for a bit before shaking his head at himself. "I guess I'll go with these... Do you want me to take the basket for you, Mrs. Mary?"

Mary waved him off, holding out the basket for him to place the leash and collar in the basket. "No, dearie, I've got it. You'll need to take the dog food anyway, I'm not able to carry it like I used to."

"Oh, okay." Ace shuffled his feet nervously, and they went through the storage room, picking up things Ace thought might be nice for Rune to have, or that she'd need. He got her a few bones to chew on, as well as a couple of squeaky toys and chew toys, dog shampoo and conditioner, and a hairbrush, a travel bowl for when Ace was in classes or out of their room, a dark red bed with white stripes, and a large bag of dog food.

When they got everything he'd need Mary and Ace left the storage room and went back to the car, setting everything except the collar and leash inside the trunk. Going back inside, Pocahontas was finishing up whatever she was doing with Jaq, and Rune came bounding over to Ace, tail wagging happily as she let out a small welcoming whine. Ace smiled, clipping the collar around Rune's neck and then petting her. "You're going to come to a new home with me today... I hope you like it."

Rune let out a small huff, a grin on her face.

"There is one last thing you need to do, Ace." Pocahontas said softly, making Ace look at her. She had a calm smile on her face as she held out a hand, open and showing a gleaming silver and black dog tag shaped like a crown. Etched into the metal was Rune's name in swooping letters, a small rune of some sort etched beside it. Ace took the tag with a small thanks and turned it over, surprised to see his communicator's number and dorm address etched on the back.

"Go ahead and clip it onto her collar!" Jaq encouraged, and Ace gave him a small nod before attaching the tag onto the collar, Rune standing still the entire time. When he finished, Rune lifted her head proudly, showing it off to the people in the room and making Ace giggle.

"Well, Jaq, Mary, it has been wonderful to see you again, but I'm afraid it's time for us to go. Rune needs to get settled in, and I'm sure young Evie would like to get measurements for some clothes for her." Pocahontas said calmly, a small smile on her face as she motioned to Rune and Ace while speaking. Jaq and Mary let out small laughs, nodding.

"Of course, of course." Jaq said as Ace stood, Rune's leash clipped to her collar. "Come back any time you like, Ace! We'd be happy to help you with anything you or Rune need!"

Ace smiled shyly, bowing his head. "Thank you, I'll keep that in mind." He said softly, giving the couple another smile. "May I bring my friends over some time? They'd really enjoy seeing the dogs."

"That's fine, too!" Mary said happily, before smiling and making a small shooing motion with her hands. "Now run along home! Rune's new home awaits!"

Ace and Pocahontas left after waving goodbye one more time, Rune laying herself across Ace's lap in the car. The ride back was mostly silent, save for a few short conversations. They both enjoyed the quiet.

"Thank you for helping me with this, Mrs. Pocahontas." He said as they reached the front of the school.

"Oh, no need to thank me, Ace! You're a part of this family now, which means I get to do things for you whenever I want." Pocahontas grinned as she went around the back of the car, shooing away the driver when they tried to get things from the back for her. "Also, you give me chances to be like how I was before John." She placed all the toys and bowls in the bed before picking it up, Ace tying Rune's leash around his belt before picking up the dog food. "So it's a double win!"

"Do you not like Mr. Rolfe?" Ace asked softly as they made their way to Ace's room. He tried to ignore the stares that came his way when the other students noticed Rune. Pocahontas sighed, thinking about the question.

"It's not that I dislike John, it's just... he took me from my home, and has forced me to become what he and his home consider 'proper'. I can't run, climb, speak my full mind- although I do anyway. Plenty of things I used to do are now frowned upon. John is... difficult, in changing his ways, and since I am noble I must continue to be poised and careful. So I act that way around him, and when I am alone, I become a bit more of who I used to be." She glanced down at herself, nose crinkling slightly in disgust. "Although I can't particularly seem to get rid of these stupid dresses."

Ace was quiet, understanding. He bit his lip and lightly kicked at the ground. "Maybe... Maybe Evie could make you something, if you asked her? She'd love to make you some pants, or design dresses to your liking."

Pocahontas laughed, shifting her hold of the dog bed as she opened the door to Ace's dorm room. "Yes, she did offer me that when you kids came over for spring break! I might just take her up on her offer, seems no other tailor wants to listen to my requests."

"I'll let her know." Ace smiled, walking in after Pocahontas and setting the dog food bag beside his bed. He untied Rune's leash from his belt and unclipped it from her collar, watching as she took to roaming around the room after looking at Ace for confirmation. She quickly made herself at home on the couch as Ace and Pocahomtas set everything up, placing the food and water bowls between the beds and taking tags off Rune's toys and other things. Ace placed her bed at the foot of his own, and put everything that didn't need to be out in a drawer in his nightstand.  
  
"Would you like to stay for tea or anything?" Ace asked when they were all done. "Haydn would be happy to see you."

Pocahontas smiled, leaning down and giving Ace a kiss on the forehead. Ace blushed darkly as she moved back, clearing his throat as she gave a gentle laugh. "I'll stop by the student council room before leaving, but I'm alright, Ace. You and Rune deserve some alone time to get to know each other." She curtsied, and Ace gave her a bow in return. "I'll see you soon, Ace." She said softly, leaving the room a moment later and leaving Ace and Rune alone.

Ace stared at the door for a few minutes before turning to the couch where Rune laid. "Well.... Welcome to your new home, Rune."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Choosing a dog breed for this was so difficult! I didn't want to go the traditional route with Retrievers and Shepards, but I couldn't do a Wolfdog (which is the dog I think fits Ace the best) because they would be terrible as service dogs, as told to me by A) Researchers and B) An unbiased opinion of a person who owns a Wolfdog (everyone else who owns one that I saw was really biased). Which kinda sucked because Wolfdogs fit the fantasy theme of Disney rather well. So, I had to come up with something else. It ended up being between a Newfoundland and a Bernese Mountain Dog. You can see which one I chose.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments are lovely and wonderful things that inspire me to write more! Don't be afraid to leave a comment, or give me idea for what you might want to see in the story! 
> 
> Also!  
> Want updates on the story, or to see pictures I make about Ace and/or my other fan fiction characters and stories? Come follow me on twitter! My username is @MoMotheDemigod


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